The present invention relates to a novel moisture and density gauge for a medium.
It is known that sources of neutron and gamma radiation may be used to establish the moisture and density of media such as soils. The prior techniques involve the use of drilling a hole in the soil and inserting a probe which included the source of radiation and a detector of the same which would send a signal to the surface for transformation into a determination of the moisture and density of the medium.
Recent devices have employed "end to end" density and moisture measurement devices having the neutron and gamma radiation sources in the center of the same with the moisture and density detectors extending in either direction therefrom. Such a device is now being manufactured by the CPN Corp. of Pacheco, California. To obtain density and moisture measurements the probe containing the sources and detectors would be lowered to two distinct depths in the soil to effect both measurements. This technique was time consuming and introduced the possibility of error in not obtaining both measurements for the same depth.
A device simplifying the combined moisture and density measurement for a certain depth in a medium would be an advance in the art of analyzing soils using radioactive sources.